Starting My Mean Green Cleaning Arsenal

Hi there!!

I was finally able to take a moment from my day to make Thieves household cleaner sprays. I have heard so many awesome reviews on Thieves products and I am beyond excited to finally be able to use them.

For those of you who are not yet familiar with Thieves household cleaner, let me fill you in on the important details. 

It is made of plant-based ingredients (including Thieves essential oil and Lemon essential oil) and uses a biodegradable formula. It is highly concentrated and will surprise you how far you stretch it by the cap-full. This household cleaner is strong enough to clean your toilet and safe enough to clean your dog. My friend even uses this in the kiddie pool to keep mosquitoes out without having any worry about the girls swimming in chemicals.

There are suggested usage ratios on the bottle but I did some asking around and these are the recipes I decided on using.

I bought a pack of commercial grade spray bottles at Sams. I love these sturdy bottles!!!

For the bathroom cleaning spray I used:

2 caps Thieves cleaner

6 drops Lemon EO 

4 drops Thieves EO

Fill with water

For the kitchen cleaning spray I used:

1 cap Thieves cleaner

3 drops Lemon EO

2 drops Thieves EO

Fill with water

For the linen refreshing spray I used:

1 caps Thieves cleaner

Fill with water

I am so excited to try these out when I do my housework tomorrow! I will admit, I already sprayed the couches because I couldn't wait to try them all out until tomorrow.

Here is a photo-op with my new cleaning arsenal.

I need to get a "squeeze" bottle so I can make a "soft scrub" type cleaner. I also want to make some laundry detergent. I hear you can simply wash a load with 1-2 caps of Thieves cleaner alone... it's just after years of washing clothes with conventional detergent I struggle with the thought of washing with only 1 tablespoon of cleanser. I am going to make a detergent mainly because I need to trick my brain to being okay with the change.

I am one step closer to ridding my life of chemicals!

Happy (safe and healthy) cleaning!

XOXOX

Lily Bean

Safe and Effective Air Freshener

Hello, hello!

Next in my mini-series of DIY recipes is a very simple, inexpensive air freshener.

Why would I consider making my won air freshener? Do an internet search of "dangers of air fresheners" and make your own informed decision. 

"According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most store-bought air fresheners consist of formaldehyde, petrochemicals, p-dichlorobenzene and aerosol pollutants [source: EPA]. The agency's "Indoor Guide to Air Quality" also notes that air fresheners "release pollutants more or less continuously" [source:EPA]."

Do you want to breathe in "fresh" air full of pollutants, chemicals, carcinogens, and toxins? Or would you rather breathe in TRULY FRESH air using only a few dollars and absolutely no chemicals?

I cleanse and freshen the air in my house using only distilled water and therapeutic grade essential oils. Nothing more, nothing less. Absolutely nothing else. 

Ingredients:

Distilled water

8 drops Lemon Essential Oil

8 drops Purification Essential Oil

Add both the Lemon and Purification Oils to a 2 ounce glass spray bottle. Fill the rest with the distilled water. Shake well before each spray. This takes care of unpleasant odors with 3-5 sprays. It not only smells delicious, but is safe enough to spray all over yourself without fear of what you may be absorbing. 

I want to try some recipes out for Fall scent air fresheners... I just love all the Fall scents but can't bring myself to purchase any brand now that I know I can make my own safe spray.

Now to take a deep breathe of delicious, truly fresh air!

XOXOX

Lily Bean

DIY Shampoo - Safe and Sudsy

Hi there!

You may remember that I mentioned that I had made my own shampoo. I have now washed my hair a few times and feel comfortable sharing the recipe with you. I had to make one adjustment before I settled on a recipe that worked for me.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup pure castille soap (I use Dr. Bronner's)

1/2 cup distilled water

3 tablespoon baking soda

5 drops Peppermint essential oil 

5 drops Melaleuca Alternifolia essential oil

Add all ingredients to your bottle and shake gently. I say gently because it will bubble up a bit with the shaking. It would be a good idea to make a habit of giving the bottle a quick jolt prior to each use. This will be more watery than you are used to with conventional shampoo, but it's a small price to pay for the health benefits.

If you have not yet read the ingredients on your shampoo, I urge you to take a peek. Something you don't know? Lots of things you can't pronounce? Look them up here at Skin Deep. It may change your world.

It changed mine!! I am now researching a natural recipe to make lipstick. I love red lip stick more than any other make up... okay well maybe not more than my eyeliner but still ALOT. I would prefer wearing it knowing I'm not poisoning my body. I will keep you posted on this venture..

Until then!

XOXOX

Lily Bean

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Howdy!

If there is one thing I absolutely love, it is orange creamsicle shakes!! My absolute favorite is at Ruby's Diner... It is always especially delicious when enjoyed on the Huntington Beach pier locations while watching the ocean. Oh how I miss that!! I wish my friends could send me a shake in the mail!

I found a recipe for orange cookies that called for orange zest... but I had no oranges. Then the lightbulb went off!! I figured why not try my Orange essential oil... Boy am I ever glad I did! The orange and vanilla in these cookies remind me of my favorite shake at one of my favorite places: and that's how these Orange Creamsicle cookies were born.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw, unfiltered honey
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut flour
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
25 drops Orange essential oil

Whisk together the salt and coconut flour. Add the honey, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange essential oil and mix for 2 minutes.

Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes then drop by the tablespoon-ful scoops onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your fingers to flatten the dollop down and shape in a circle. (You should put some butter or olive oil on your finger so the dough doesn't stick.)

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes before placing and a cookie rack to cool completely.

Yield 36-40 cookies.

I learned not to fear cooking with my essential oils.

I am scheduled to present my first ever educational class on oils this week. I am thinking I will make a batch of these to take with me to share with the host and her guests. What a great way to showcase a great way to use the oils!

Wish me luck!!!

XOXOX

Lily Bean

Happiness is...

Happiness is...

I received my very first essential rewards "ER" order from Young Living. Waiting for this package felt just like the anticipation of Christmas when I was a child. 

What did I order, you ask.

- The Thieves Essential rewards package which includes 2 bottles of household cleaner, 2 foaming hand soaps, 2 one ounce Thieves spray (perfect to keep in my purse), 2 bottles hand sanitizer, 1 AromaBright toothpaste, 1 bottle of mouth wash, and a bottle of Thieves oil. Pretty good rewards package if you ask me! Especially these days when your immune system can surely use the extra boost.

- An extra bottle of Thieves oil. You can never have too much of a great thing.

- 2ml Sample bottles because sharing is caring

- And I replaced my Lavender, Peppermint, and Lemon before they run out.

The order was big enough to qualify me for the monthly promotion, so I received Cinnamon Bark, Orange and Nutmeg oils as freebies.

I must say, now that I wash my hands with Thieves hand soap I walk around like Mary Katherine Gallagher sniffing my hands all day. I am so in love with Thieves and love that it smells like Christmas in a bottle.

I am more than happy to have replaced my hand soap and oral hygiene products with the Thieves line or products. My mouth feels cleaner than ever and I have no fears of ever need poison control. I even swallow my mouthwash now and can never compare the feeling to conventional brands of tooth care products.

What is the ER program with Young Living?

It is a programs that rewards you for your loyalty with the company. Much like the Target Red Card... only better rewards. You can earn from 10-20% back in rewards points to be used in future purchases (Target only rewards you with 5%), access to ER only packages (such as the Thieves one I just received), and you get discounted shipping options.

What's not to love about the all that?

I can't wait for my order next month. I will finally be getting my own bottles of Ningxia Red.

Stay oily!

XOXO

Lily Bean

Disappearing Ink

Hello there!!

I have an oily victory story to share.

My oldest fur baby, Theodora, has a longer than normal medical history for a 4 year old pooch. My friends call her my bubble dog... everything seems to affect her and I have to be so careful with what I let her eat and play in. 

She has had these random spots of dark pigmentation pop up on her belly before three times in the last year. I have taken her to the vet where they inspected her spots in every way, just short of a biopsy and we are not quite sure what the spots are yet. The first time the vet prescribed her an ointment to cover all bases: anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, antifungal, antibcterial steroids. Had this ointment not worked, I would be taking her in to remove that skin and have it biopsied. Needless to say, I was so glad it worked! However, this is some mean stuff... the kind of ointment I don't want to touch. Not only do I need to wear gloves but I need to try and keep Thea from rubbing, licking, or scratching at it. The second time the spots popped up I just turned to the ointment because I knew that is what the vet would have me do.

So 9 days ago I noticed she had a new spot on her belly. Instinctively I went to the medicine cabinet to make sure the ointment had not expired. Next I was hunting for gloves to protect myself. As I was looking for them I couldn't help but think how awful that I would put something on my baby that I didn't want to personally come in contact with.

Day 1

The lightbulb went on... of course! With my handy-dandy "Essential Oils & Pets" pamphlet and by asking my oil group for support in a decision, I was able to decide to use my Young Living Frankincense Essential Oil. According to my pamphlet, written by a veterinarian Dr. Mary Hess, Frankincense "Is used in every aspect of pet care, including wounds, tumors, behavior, infections, bacteria, fungus, and so forth". Sounded like all my bases would be covered again.

Day 4

Day 8

Day 9, Officially Cleared of Brown Spots

What I did:

I put 5 drops of Frankincense EO (get it here) in a roller ball and filled with 5mL of grapeseed oil.

Every application would start with a good wipe with witch hazel and a picture. For the first 4 days I put the oil on her spot every eight hours. Day 5-6 I dropped the frequency to every 12 hours. Day 7-8 I only put the oil on once a day before bed.

By day 9 the spot was gone. You can barely even tell where it was. It seemed to dry up and scab off throughout the week.

I am beyond excited that I did not need to take her in to the vet or use the strong ointment at all!

So happy with my Young Living Essential Oils and how they have helped me and my loved ones.

XOXOX

Lily Bean and Theodora

Grain Free Pancakes and Honey Body Wash

Last night I was up so late making DIY bath products, so I decided to just get to bed and postpone my shower until this morning. I woke up so excited to try all my new products out... but first: breakfast. 

We all have out priorities and when my tummy beckons it trumps everything.

On the menu this morning was grain free pancakes.

Ingredients:

4 oz cream cheese

4 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1.5 teaspoon raw, unfiltered honey

Mix all ingredients together. I used my Ninja small food processor.

Let the batter rest for 2 minutes.

Pour batter on hot griddle and flip when edges are cooked.

Enjoy with some maple syrup!

Once my stomach was content I ran straight to the shower and was so delighted using my new honey body wash.

What you need:

An empty bottle

1/4 cup raw, unfiltered honey

2/3 cup Castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's)

2 teaspoon almond oil

6 drops Young Living Grapefruit EO (get it here)

6 drops Young Living Orange EO (get it here)

6 drops Young Living Melaleuca Alternifolia EO (get it here)

Add all ingredients to your bottle and gently shake to mix the contents. I used a "tornado" motion to swirl it all around. Surprisingly, the next day the contents had not settled much. I still gave a good swirl before squirting into my body pouf. 

Initially I had assumed that it would take ALOT of homemade body wash to get through one shower. In my past experience, homemade bath products went quickly because we use more searching for that same sudsy feeling of store bought product. I squirt a small amount into my pouf expecting to only make it through 1/3 of my body... I was able to wash my whole body and still had plenty  suds to rinse off my body pouf.

This honey wash smells amazing and cleans up nicely!! 

Happy washing!!

XOXOX

Lily Bean

Time for a Tune Up - Lavender Face Serum

Hello again!! I hope you have had a wonderful week!

I hate that I was so quiet (here), but I was putting in some extra hours at work and was beyond exhausted. I work as a medical coder. I recently went to community college and received my Associate's in RHIT (Registered Health Information Technology). I actually passed my credentialing test almost two months before I ever finished the program.

I loooooooove the medical field but was not blessed with a stomach to deal with some of the physical and emotional sides to patient care. By going into health information, I have most prereq's the same as a nurse and get all the aspects of the field from behind my desk. It's the perfect place for me to feed my scientific and secretarial sides.

Human anatomy and pathophysiology are my main loves. I could take those classes every semester for the rest of my life and be happy. I believe that is part of the reason I am so attracted to a healthy lifestyle. I have worked hard to gain an understanding on how the body systems function and see how important it is too keep things in working order.

The average person takes their car for oil changes and makes sure it is always gassed up so it works the way it should. Why don't we do the same with our bodies? I prefer to keep my car in working order instead of waiting for it to break down and then paying the mechanic to fix it.

In my efforts to treat my body as good as I treat my car, I am now educating myself on what is in anything and everything that I put on, in, or around my body. Reading labels has opened my eyes to so much. I am tired of surrounding myself with toxins and carcinogens.

If you take anything from this blog, I hope yo begin to read labels and make informed decisions for yourself. If you can't pronounce the ingredient or don't know what it is, look it up. Things may just surprise you...

So I finally did it! I threw out all my health and beauty products that are full of junk... Glittery, delicious, shiny, beautiful, nasty, unhealthy, dirty junk.

My next few blog posts will be with DIY recipes that I am using to replace these everyday products.

First, here's a simple face serum.

What you need:

1 oz glass bottle with dropper top

sweet almond oil

Lavender essential oil

Put 15 drops of Lavender EO into the bottle.

Fill with sweet almond oil.

Shake before each use. Start with small amounts, a little goes a looooooong way. I recommend starting around your mouth, up to your cheeks and nose, and then your forehead. This way the layer on your forehead is not as thick. 

(On a hot day you will thank me when there isn't a thick layer of oil to melt into your eyes... trust me. I found out the hard way).

You can use this serum alone or layer under a cream if you need more moisture.

Since I started using this serum I have noticed less skin irritations and even less cramping during my period. Thank you Lavender EO! The best part is, I made it so I know exactly what I am putting on my body.

Stay tuned for more recipes (shampoo, body wash, and air freshener to come soon).

I am off to find something grain free and delicious to bake!

XOXOX

Lily Bean!

Butterscotch Cinnamon Cookies, a Fine How Do You Do

Hello and welcome to my first ever post here at FaerieLife.com. I am beyond excited to share so much with you all here. 

I have recently made a conscious effort to be healthier making the switch from junk-food-sugar-addict-carbaholic to a grain-free diet and deciding to quit the drugs in my medicine cabinet for essential oils.

My next step is to get rid of the chemical infested health and beauty products and find all natural items or recipes that work.

How awesome to be sharing this adventure with you all!!

To celebrate the start, I decided to bake some yummy cookies.

Now I know what you may be thinking... didn't you just say you were trying to be healthy? Have no fear, these cookies are a much healthier dessert option than one would think. 

I was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of going grain-free until I discovered that I can still have my pasta, pizza, and cookies by simply changing ingredients.

Now, as with anything, I will still eat my healthy "junk" options in moderation. Surely you all feel better too knowing there will be no self deprivation in this healthy lifestyle.

Now, without further adieu...

CINNAMON BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp Almond Flour
• 4 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 3 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• A pinch of Salt
• 2 Tbsp Butterscotch chips (not pictured)
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the almond flour, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, and salt into a dough mixer.

You can use a hand mixer if you do not have a dough mixer.

Once your dough is mixed, add the cinnamon and butterscotch chips and mix again for a moment.

If your coconut oil is liquid, your dough will be quite sticky and look slimy. Simply place your dough in the freezer for 5-10 minutes and you will be fine.

You're dough will come out of the freezer more solidified and easier to work with.

Use a rounded 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon to scoop small balls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

This recipe yields 8-10 cookies.

Bake your cookies for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool on the tray for a few  minutes before moving to a cooling rack

Enjoy this recipe and I will see you back here for new recipes soon.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

XOXOX

Lily Bean!